


Unexpected

by Kate_Shepard



Series: The Secret Life of Commander Shepard [1]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe, Dirty Talk, F/M, Feral Behavior, Fluff and Smut, Het Alpha/Omega, Infertility, Knotting, No Pregnancy, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Oral Sex, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Shakarian - Freeform, Shameless Smut, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-26
Updated: 2016-12-26
Packaged: 2018-09-12 07:41:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9062776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kate_Shepard/pseuds/Kate_Shepard
Summary: Commander Shepard had lived her life as an alpha with a secret, but when that is no longer an option, can Garrus help her cope?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've recently been drawn into the Omegaverse and decided to try my hand at it since it's a different take on one of my favorite kinks and throws in some existing headcanons of mine. I've played around with the "rules" a bit to make it fit. Also, I've completely made up all of the physiological stuff and I'm not a medical professional, so if anyone has suggestions on ways to fit it better into existing biology, feel free to give input. Here goes nothing. Be gentle!

“Operative Lawson!” Miranda looked up as her name was called and walked over to the scientist who was looking down in shock at the charred body on the table. 

“What is it?” she asked.

“Look,” the man said.

Miranda looked down, but she wasn’t a doctor and all she could see was blackened, desiccated meat. “What am I looking at?” she asked. “Muscle?”

The scientist squared his shoulders and said, “The trapezius isn’t the focus here, ma’am. The supraclavicular and suprascapular nerves are. Specifically note their placement, Operative. It indicates readiness for a pair mark. More importantly, if you look closely here,” he added, gesturing with a sleek metal instrument, “you can see the terminary gland. We previously noted that the intraorbital α gland was underdeveloped, but wanted to ascertain that it wasn’t simply damaged before bringing it to your attention. I’ve never seen this before. She has both α and ω prohormone glands, but the α gland is likely non-functional. As further evidence of the terminary gland’s prioritization, we’ve also discovered scent glands on the wrists. Were you aware of this?”

“No,” Miranda said. “Listen closely. Tell _no one_ outside of the project about this.” When he nodded, she turned and went to her office to activate the QEC. She needed to speak with the Illusive Man. This was entirely unexpected and unprecedented. 

The holo of her employer appeared and he tapped his cigarette into the ashtray before saying, “I trust this is important, Ms. Lawson.”

“It is,” she assured him. “I’ve just learned that Shepard is an omega. Sir, this changes everything.”

“It changes nothing,” he said, but she was gratified to see surprise on his face. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully and said, “You’re sure?”

“Positive,” she answered. “She has both sets of glands, but the α gland doesn’t appear functional while the ω gland is fully developed and she has the appropriate scent glands. Physically, she is both Alpha and omega. Functionally, she is an omega. Sir, if we were to promote the development of her α gland and transplant her reproductive system from the backup, it is possible that we could create an Alpha who could bear a child. She is far more suited to study than to any type of leadership position. She could be the next evolution of humanity.”

“I wonder how she managed to hide it from the Alliance?” he mused. “From everyone. She should have been detected by now. She would have to have a doctor assisting her. Dr. Chakwas is the most likely answer. We will simply have to recruit her. As for the rest, it’s fascinating and under other circumstances, I would agree with you. The Reapers, and by proxy, the Collectors are a more immediate concern.”

“But, sir, an omega can’t—” Miranda began only to be cut off.

“Shepard can and she will. I don’t care what she is. Change nothing, Miranda.” With that, the QEC blinked off and Miranda was left standing in her office alone.

Commander Shepard was an omega. The youngest N7 graduate, the hero of Elysium, the savior of the Citadel, and the first human Spectre was not only not the Alpha she was registered as; she was a bloody unregistered _omega_. The paragon of the galaxy had committed fraud. Omegas weren’t unheard of in the military, but they were almost never promoted to any type of command higher than that of executive officer. An omega _needed_ an Alpha as a direct supervisor. Shepard should never have been able to function as a Spectre. The autonomy provided them was anathema to omegas. 

How had she done it? Perhaps she’d succeeded because there were no Alphas on her crew. In the complete absence of an Alpha, betas or omegas could assume positions of leadership. Perhaps having her chain of command even peripherally available to her had somehow been enough. Perhaps the α gland was just functional enough to allow her to override her omega biology and to mask her status. Miranda didn’t know, but she needed to find out because the crew roster being put together for Shepard’s team meant that the commander was about to be in charge of not just one Alpha, but a group. They might as well throw her to the wolves or just scrap the project altogether. The first time she went into heat, there would be chaos.

Well, that was something Miranda could deal with. Hormone blockers could prevent heats. The report she’d received the day before had stated that it was unlikely that the commander’s fertility could be saved in any case without a transplant and a significant amount of effort. That left Miranda with a dilemma. An infertile omega could sink into a deep depression. On the other hand, the urge to reproduce became a biological imperative in the mid-thirties and Shepard was approaching that age. She couldn’t afford to be sidetracked before the Reaper threat was over and that could take years. The likelihood of Shepard surviving the suicide mission was minimal and her chances of surviving the coming war were even smaller. Her ability to reproduce in the future was far lower on Miranda’s list of priorities than maintaining a stable mental and emotional state.

Further research on the topic led Miranda to her solution. There was a very, very small subset of omega females and a slightly larger subset of omega males who felt that the desire to reproduce was a form of biological hijacking of their free will and chose to be sterilized. For those individuals, removal of the uterus while leaving either the ovaries or testicles in place was the preferred course of treatment. It prevented the psychological repercussions of infertility while also forestalling the biological imperative. It didn’t remove the need for an Alpha or the sexual drives, but it would at least keep Shepard from being ruled by her uterus when they needed her focused. She sent her report to the Illusive Man and received permission before instructing the reconstruction team to follow through on her plan. 

She hesitated after giving the order. Miranda was a beta. She was unable to bear a child. She’d never had a choice in the matter. Her father—an omega—had decided that the drives of both Alphas and omegas were weaknesses and that the mutations that caused the condition were not an evolution but a devolution into a more animalistic state. Neither an Alpha nor an omega could then be called perfect. He had seen the lack of fertility as unimportant given the advances in genetic modification. In his eyes, if she wished to reproduce, she could always be cloned. He’d managed to find a way to circumvent having an Alpha in order to have a child but he’d denied her the opportunity to have one of her own. “Ensure that the reproductive system is able to accept a transplanted uterus at a later date,” she added. She would only go so far in playing God. She wasn’t her father.


	2. Chapter 2

Shepard shook her head as she left the main battery. Had Garrus always smelled that good? Had she always had this inexplicable desire to make him happy? Seeing him so upset over the loss of his team had hit her harder than it should have even for a close friend. She actively hated seeing him unhappy and it hurt her when he turned her away and wouldn’t let her help him. She wanted to see him smile again. She wanted to hear his laugh. She wanted to please him. 

The answer to her question came not from Garrus himself, but from Thane when she entered Life Support to speak with him. She was surprised to see that the stoic assassin looked discomfited by her presence. When he, too, turned her away, she jokingly said, “Do I smell bad or something?” 

“On the contrary, Commander,” he said seriously, his voice deeper than she’d ever heard it. “You smell far too appealing. I had not realized….”

When he didn’t continue, she said, “Hadn’t realized what?”

He shook his head. “I made an assumption about human practices. I was incorrect but did not intend offense. I apologize.”

“What are you talking about, Thane?” she asked patiently. 

His inner eyelids blinked and he said, “I assumed that human omegas functioned in the same manner as drell.”

“Omegas,” she said flatly. 

“You _are_ an omega, are you not?” he asked, looking confused now. “Forgive me, but you smell…like an unclaimed omega. If so, I would advise avoiding Zaeed.”

“Shit,” she said. 

This was an unforeseen complication. Miranda knew, of course, but none of the other crew. She’d always been able to mask it in the past and keep her heat cycles regulated. Something about her reconstruction must have changed that. The hormone therapy wasn’t working if Thane could smell her. And if he found her scent appealing, that meant that she was likely going into heat. She was going to have to correct that quickly. They didn’t have time for shore leave and she couldn’t afford to spend the next week locked in her cabin. Zaeed would be easy enough to avoid and all of the other human males on board were either betas or omegas, so they wouldn’t be a problem, but no one in Cerberus had thought to adjust the alien crew roster accordingly. Hell, even she hadn’t known that aliens could scent it in humans. It had never been an issue on the first _Normandy_.

“How does this work with drell?” she asked. She needed to know if he would have a problem serving under an omega. 

He adopted the posture he used when educating her on other aspects of his species and said, “Omegas rarely leave Kahje. They are the nurturers and homemakers of our society. Their desire is to remain close to home and family. We have no betas. As Rakhana began to fail, natural selection weeded out the members of society who could not contribute to the survival of the species. Thus, all who serve under the Compact are Alphas. Omegas lack the necessary aggression and willingness to take life. That is why I assumed that you were an Alpha.”

“Is there any type of social stigma attached to omegas that I should know about?” she asked.

“No, Commander,” he said. “It is quite the opposite. Omegas are rarer than Alphas because the majority are female and our female population is smaller. They are valued in our society and are often placed into positions of leadership as long as they have an appropriate Alpha to counter the demands upon them. We are a matriarchal society. The Alpha rules only his omega. He has no say over her decisions that affect the whole. It provides balance by giving the ability to form our society to the ones who have the most invested into it while allowing the Alphas to focus their attention on their omegas.”

“So you have no objection to serving under me?” she asked.

“None,” he said. “However, I would not claim you due to my condition. It would be cruel to do so, especially given that we do not have a soulbond. Therefore, I would be more comfortable if you returned in a few days.”

She understood his meaning. Alphas and omegas bonded for life. The loss of a bondmate was an extremely painful prospect for either party. It was possible for the surviving mate to form a new bond, but very uncommon. Thane had already experienced the pain of losing a mate. He would not, as an honorable individual, knowingly subject her to that. It would truly be cruel to do so and even more so since neither of them felt the draw outside of the basic biological reaction. 

Every species that possessed Alphas and omegas had some sort of belief regarding mates and destiny. Humans called them soulmates. Drell, apparently, called them soulbonds. Turians called them spirit bonds. Asari called them lifemates. Quarians called them suitmates. The term varied, but the basic premise did not. Bonding was possible even between two individuals who were not so-called soulmates and was thought to sever any other potential bond. However, the strongest ones were between two individuals who were drawn so strongly to one another that they felt powerless to avoid it. 

Thane’s description of his reaction to Irikah—the instant reaction to her, the _need_ to meet her, the willingness to walk away from everything for her—was a perfect example of this. Unfortunately, his training had made him particularly unsuited for the life of a domestic Alpha. She supposed that the aggression they generally displayed had overpowered the protective drive as the former had been the only one nurtured in him. Training could override instinct. She was a prime example of that. It had ultimately been his undoing.

“Thank you for bringing this to my attention,” she said. “I should go.”

“Please feel free to alert me should you have any problems with Zaeed,” he said. “I do not anticipate that Garrus would act in an untoward manner, but Zaeed is a different story.”

“I think I’ll just give him a wide berth until I can get this sorted out,” she said. He was the only human Alpha present, so a dominance display could easily lead her into territory she didn’t want to traverse. It was hard enough for her to control him as it was. He wouldn’t harm her, but it would make keeping him in line far more difficult. “And, Thane, please don’t mention this to anyone else. Humans do carry a stigma against omegas in leadership positions.”

“Your secret is safe with me, Commander,” he assured her. 

She nodded and left the Life Support room to go to the med bay. She needed to speak with Chakwas. The doctor greeted her warmly and listened with mounting concern as Shepard outlined the problem. Chakwas shook her head and ran a diagnostic scan. Shepard had hoped that the fix would be as simple as increasing or tweaking her hormones, but the doctor’s furrowed brow as she looked at the scan made her stomach sink. 

“I should have looked at this more carefully when you came back, Commander,” the doctor finally said. “You were an anomaly to begin with even if your α gland was underdeveloped. You should not have had one at all. Unfortunately, it seems that it was damaged and not properly repaired. Hormones alone will not be sufficient as you are no longer producing α prohormones at all.”

Shepard sighed and sank down onto one of the beds. This wasn’t good. She had been able to be registered as an Alpha due to the presence of the gland. Her mother had pulled a lot of strings to make that happen in the hopes that Shepard would continue the tradition of military service. Had she been registered as an omega, her career would have come with an automatic glass ceiling. Hannah Shepard hadn’t wanted that for her daughter. The α prohormones she’d produced hadn’t been enough to overcome the ω ones, but they had served to minimize her heats and mask the omega scent. Replacement hormones had enhanced them and allowed her to present herself as an Alpha even among other Alphas and omegas. It had been enough to fool both Liara and Kaidan into believing that she was an available Alpha. It seemed that would no longer be the case. 

“What do we do?” she asked.

Chakwas said, “Hormone therapy will be enough to mask your scent to most Alphas when you are not in heat and allow you to at least present as a beta. It should also be sufficient to provide you with the necessary aggression to continue in your mission. You can honestly state that your α gland was damaged. Its presence means that you shouldn’t have to change your registration, so it shouldn’t affect your career. However, you will have to rely more fully on your training and quickly come to see this crew as one in need of your protection so that you may channel that aggression. No one else needs to know. You should simply make an effort to avoid Zaeed and the other omegas until your heat is over.”

“I’ve already thought of that. And Garrus?” she asked. His earlier reaction to her made more sense now. He, too, could probably smell the change. 

“What about him?” Chakwas asked.

“He smells it, too,” she said.

“I’m afraid I am not very familiar with the way this translates across species between humans and turians,” the doctor said. “It wasn’t an issue with Garrus before the change, but I don’t know what it will be like now. Mordin would be the more appropriate person to ask.”

“I thought no one else needed to know,” she said. 

“Salarians have no sex drive,” Chakwas said. “That means no biological hierarchy. I do know that much. He will see it as a purely academic question and he will keep your confidences.”

“Thanks, Doc,” she said and rose from the bed. 

After receiving assurance from EDI that neither Zaeed nor the other omegas in the crew were between herself and the Tech Lab, Shepard took the lift to the bridge. Mordin looked up when she entered and gave her the quick, tight smile he seemed to reserve for her and times when he felt that he needed to reassure one of the human crew. She didn’t know if he was genuinely happy to see her or if he felt that she needed constant reassurance. She hoped it was the former. 

He, too, listened as she relayed her conversation with Chakwas, but he didn’t seem to view it as seriously detrimental as Karin had. Like the doctor had predicted, the salarian simply viewed it as an interesting academic question. He nodded enthusiastically and said, “Fascinating deviation from norm! Current heat cycle problematic; however, can likely synthesize more effective masking hormone. Should be able to control timing of cycles to coincide with scheduled shore leaves in future. Don’t worry, Shepard. Minor setback. Easily fixable. Will give me something to do in free time.”

“Thank you, Mordin,” she said, feeling relief wash over her. “In the meantime, do you have any advice for getting through this without the crew finding out?”

“Primary difficulty will be your own discomfort,” he said. “Cold water, rest, personal aids should help. As for crew, only human omegas are Jacob, Donnelly, Chambers. Illusive Man probably alerted Chambers. Simply avoid armory and engineering. Most crew are betas. Most likely intentional. Assume Chakwas warned about Zaeed.”

“She did,” she said. “So did Thane.”

“Ah, yes,” he said with a nod. “Alien crew. Krogan have no Alpha/omega. Grunt not a concern. Quarians only care about status with potential mates. Given filters, Tali unlikely to notice. Samara is Alpha, but sworn to your service and celibate. Not a concern. Thane is Alpha, but actively avoiding contact. Garrus potentially problematic. Alpha. Unmated. Close friendship. Fortunately, turians have hierarchy built in. Won’t challenge ability to lead mission, at least. How do you react to him?”

“Stronger than any of the others,” she admitted. “He smells amazing and I find myself wanting to do things to please him. I don’t condone revenge killing, but I agreed to help him find the man who betrayed him and take him out just because he asked me to. That’s a bad sign, isn’t it?”

“Not necessarily,” he said. “Depends on views of Garrus as potential mate. Bond rarely transcends species outside of asari given evolution toward breeding, but not unheard of.”

“You think _Garrus_ is my soulmate?” she asked incredulously.

“Could do much worse. Garrus is strong, virile, loyal, attractive by turian standards, already a trusted friend,” he said. “Don’t see the problem.”

“He’s my best friend,” she said. “Besides, he doesn’t look at me like that. He doesn’t have a thing for humans.”

“Doesn’t have to,” Mordin said. “Not about human/turian. About Shepard/Vakarian. Good match, if you’re willing. No offspring, but other benefits could outweigh procreation. Mission stressful for anyone. Alpha could give outlet to relieve stress. Allow you to safely _be_ omega in personal life. Puts personal face on war, something to fight for. If salarians mated traditionally, would hope for mate to be someone I enjoyed spending time with. Would want trust, friendship, similar outlook, morals, goals.”

“I’ll…think about it,” she said.

He nodded again. “Will begin synthesizing hormone. May be able to find something to combat symptoms of heat in a day or two. In the meantime, spend time with Grunt, Jack. Will satisfy increased desire to nurture.”


	3. Chapter 3

The following day, Shepard began her morning with a cold shower. She worked on reports before going to the mess hall in the hopes that most of the crew would have finished chow and the mess would be empty. Spending the week sneaking around her own ship was going to be miserable, but she enlisted EDI’s help and rearranged the duty roster so that those she needed to avoid would be away from places she needed to be. The minutiae was distracting and helped ease her growing discomfort. EDI agreed to warn her should any Alphas or omegas be present in an area in which she needed to be. When the AI informed her that the mess was empty of any concerning individuals, Shepard went down for breakfast. She could always retreat to the med bay if she had to. 

She was going to have to figure something out. The Illusive Man had ordered them to investigate a disabled Collector ship. She had beta team members who were strong enough that she _thought_ they could handle it, but she _knew_ that Thane and Garrus could. Thane had said that he didn’t have a problem following an omega and he was disciplined enough that she was almost positive that he could ignore her heat for the mission. She wasn’t so certain about Garrus. Their ideas of hierarchy were deeply ingrained and she hadn’t taken him into the field since he’d learned about her omega status. Everything could have changed.

There was only one way to find out. She finished her breakfast and set the datapad aside to pick up later. Squaring her shoulders, she strode purposefully to the main battery. If there was going to be a problem, it would be better to figure it out now. If Garrus couldn’t handle it, she’d take Thane and Mordin or Miranda. Mordin would be her preference as he could deal with any issues that might arise with Thane and wouldn’t be affected. However, Miranda was a beta and could take over if Shepard needed to pass leadership off for mission cohesion. Either one of them would be acceptable, but she wanted her preferred team. 

Garrus tensed visibly even in his armor when the door opened and she entered. He didn’t turn to face her when he said tightly, “Is this important, Commander? I’m in the middle of some calibrations.”

“We have a mission,” she said.

“Shit,” he groaned and raised a hand to rub over his face. “All right.”

“Look at me, Garrus,” she commanded. He did. That was a good sign. He still followed her orders. The tightness of his mandibles, however, told her that he was uncomfortable. “I can take someone else if you can’t handle it.”

“I can handle it,” he said. “I just…damn it, Shepard. Why didn’t you tell me? I thought we were friends. Don’t you trust me?”

He was hurt, she realized in surprise. “Garrus,” she said gently, trying to ignore the way his scent wrapped around her. Gods, he smelled good. She wondered if she smelled this good to him. The desire to wipe the hurt from his tone was overwhelming. “I didn’t tell anyone. It wasn’t a lack of trust. I just didn’t want to upset the balance of power or make things awkward. If there was anyone I’d have told, it would have been you.”

“How did you hide it?” he asked. 

She explained about her unique physiology and the changes since her resurrection. He seemed mollified and something tight within her loosened. She relaxed and said, “So, as long as you’re sure you can handle it, I’ll take you along. I don’t know how this works with turians.”

“I can handle it, Shepard,” he said confidently. “The desire is there. I’m not going to lie. But you have to remember, I come from a society based on hierarchy and discipline. An Alpha pushing himself onto an omega and forcing the bond is one of the worst kinds of crimes in our society. It’s up there with murder. I would never hurt you.”

“I know that,” she said. “I’m more concerned with whether you can focus and take orders.”

“I can focus. Breathers might help, though,” he said with a wry chuckle. “As for taking orders, you’re still the commander. In the field, in the day-to-day running of the ship, you’re the boss. Spirits know I don’t have any right to leadership, Alpha or no. I should have been born a beta or an omega. You’re far more suited to being an Alpha.”

The sadness was back in his eyes and she went to him as if being pulled by invisible strings. “No, Garrus,” she said, placing her hand on his mandible. It relaxed under her hand and his nasal plates shifted as he turned his face into her wrist and breathed deeply. Heat flared within her as his scent grew stronger and her chest tightened. He nuzzled lightly against her hand and she whispered his name. She heard a low rumble from his chest and metal screeched as his hands tightened on the console behind him.

“Spirits, Shepard,” he said in a voice that was almost a growl, “please don’t tempt me.”

She wanted to. She wanted far too much. She wanted him to grab her up and carry her over to his workbench, sweep the surface clear, and sit her down on it. She wanted him to rip through her clothes with his talons, strip his armor off, and spread her legs. She wanted him to bury himself in her. Need clawed at her diaphragm and made her knees weak. Helplessly, she rose onto her tiptoes and placed a hand against his armored chest as she leaned into him. Driven by instinct, she sought the point where his jaw and throat met. She ached to lick and nip there, to seek the relief she knew she would find from the inferno that was suddenly ripping through her. 

“Garrus, please,” she heard herself whisper. 

The rumble turned to an all-out growl and his hands clasped her shoulders. For a moment, she thought he was going to draw her into him, but instead, he pushed her away. “Spirits, Shepard,” he cursed. “Keep that up and I _won’t_ be able to focus. Look, my sister’s an omega. I know this is hard. Hold it together, Shepard.” His voice shifted to commanding on the last sentence and she straightened and stepped back from him.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I don’t know what came over me.” _Breathe. Find your control. You are the master of yourself, not your body. Block out his scent. Breathe._ “I should go.”

Before he could respond, she turned and strode from the battery. That couldn’t happen in the field. She’d never lost control of herself like that. She hadn’t considered that she might be the one who couldn’t focus. She hadn’t had that problem with Thane. Of course, her heat had just been starting the day before. Who knew? Maybe she’d respond to him that way, too. She might not be able to bring either of them with her, not because their control might falter, but because her own was in question. 

She knocked on the door to Life Support and stood in the doorway when it opened. “Thane?” she called out.

“Yes, Shepard?” he replied. When she didn’t enter, he turned to look at her. “Is there a problem?”

“I need to test something,” she said tightly. “Turns out it isn’t the Alphas’ control I have to worry about.”

“Ah. Come in. I will try not to ravish you,” he said drily. 

She raised a brow when she saw his mouth quirk into a slight smile. “This isn’t funny,” she grumbled and walked in.

“I apologize, Commander,” he said, but the smile hadn’t faded. She huffed and rolled her eyes. “What do you need me to do?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” she said. “I don’t know what triggers it.” The fire inside of her had banked itself when she’d escaped Garrus’ scent. Hesitantly, she leaned forward and sniffed Thane. He smelled good, damn good, but it was simply a fact that she noted rather than an irresistible draw. “May I touch you?” she asked.

He nodded. When she raised her hand to his face as she had with Garrus, he took her gently by the wrist and placed it above his frill rather than below it. His nostrils flared slightly, but his control didn’t waver. “Your scent is strong at your wrists and throat,” he said. “Did he react when you did this?”

“Yes,” she said. “He smelled me like you did but he kind of moved into it.”

“Like this?” he asked and nuzzled against her hand. 

She nodded, waiting for the response. There was none. Her brow furrowed in confusion. Thane was an attractive, strong, and virile man despite his illness. She should have responded in some way. There was a slight uptick in desire for her, but nothing like what she’d felt with Garrus. She said, “I don’t think it’s working.”

“I am flattered that you sound disappointed,” he said with a smile. “Does this answer your question?”

“I hope so,” she said and dropped her hand. She and Garrus would be armored from head to toe. They shouldn’t be able to smell each other. She and Thane could control their reactions to each other. Hopefully, it would be enough. “We dock with the Collector ship in an hour. Be ready.”

She went to her cabin and showered with the water as cold as she could get it in the hopes that it would drive away the last of her desire and clear her head. It worked, at least temporarily, and she sent up a quick prayer to whatever gods were listening that she could maintain through the mission. This was too important to send anyone else and she desperately wanted Garrus at her six. Breathers and Collector ships and the _Normandy_ potentially at risk was more important than the desires of her traitorous body. She was trained for this. She’d worked through heats before and had done so with an Alpha present. Of course, Anderson had been her commanding officer at the time and he’d known the truth of her condition and had helped her maintain her focus, but she knew what she was doing. 

She met Thane at the shuttle and Garrus walked up a few moments later. The two looked surprised to see each other and cast a questioning look in her direction, but she disregarded it. She was relieved to note that her breather was working properly and she couldn’t smell either one of them. They climbed into the shuttle and she took her seat. The two males stared at each other for a long moment. She couldn’t see Garrus’ eyes, but she thought she saw something like a challenge in Thane’s. His hand clenched into a fist and then he deliberately turned his back and took a seat across from her. Garrus settled beside her and there was a jolt as the shuttle left its docking cradle. 

The trip through the Collector ship was uneventful at first. There was an odd tension between Garrus and Thane, but it dissipated once they were aboard and got a good look at the first in what turned out to be a long line of horrors. She found that with their scent blocked, she could focus on the mission, but the sensation of wrongness didn’t leave her. It was too quiet, too empty. She was momentarily distracted when she found the M-98 Widow lying near the pods containing the dead Collectors and familiarized herself with it, but her unease only grew the further into the ship they moved. It felt like they were being drawn in and she didn’t like it. 

She was almost relieved when the trap was sprung. She strongly preferred an enemy that she could see to one that lurked in the dark. The knowledge that Thane and Garrus were both Alphas didn’t override her drive to defend them, but she noticed that they were far more efficient than they’d ever been before. She knelt behind cover on one of the platforms with her new rifle while Garrus switched to his assault rifle and moved in closer. Thane drew his SMG and his biotics flashed in the air around them like an electrical storm. 

It wasn’t until EDI had regained control of the systems and informed them of the Illusive Man’s treachery that Shepard recognized the source of the difference. Thane seemed more upset than she would have expected from him, but Garrus’ reaction was downright furious. “That son of a varren bitch. I’ll kill him,” he snarled. “He deliberately put you in danger, Shepard!”

“I know,” she said.

Before any of them could say more, Joker warned them that the ship was coming back online and they began to run. Her suspicions were confirmed when she saw the way the two of them moved. Generally, she took point. Not so this time. Thane and Garrus were both faster than she was and Thane took advantage of that to move out ahead of her. Garrus remained steadfastly behind and to her right, covering her six. She would have been offended at the idea that she needed to be protected had she not known that they were simply doing what was in their nature. They were Alphas. She was an omega in heat. Of course, they would feel the need to protect her. It was an aspect she hadn’t considered because they’d never exhibited that kind of behavior with her before. She was simply grateful that the two of them had worked out whatever dominance check she now realized they’d been doing on the shuttle and that they trusted each other. It was rare for two Alphas to work cooperatively that way rather than challenging each other, but she supposed that the outside threat made it beneficial for them to work together. 

They still followed her orders, but when they reached a large chamber and she drew the Cain to deal with the Praetorian that appeared, Thane threw a barrier around her and Garrus put himself in the line of fire from the flying horror, blocking her with his body until the Cain was fully charged. She fired it and Garrus threw himself on top of her to shield her from the blast. When it was clear, he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to her feet. “Let’s go,” he growled. 

A shockwave from a scion took down her shields a few minutes later and a Collector’s particle beam caught her in the shoulder. Before she could turn and fire, Garrus had taken the Collector down and Thane had warped the scion and shot it with his rifle. A second shot from her Widow put it down, but the recoil was excruciating against her wounded shoulder. Garrus injected her with medigel and they pushed forward but were slowed by wave after wave of husks. Thane pushed his biotics to the limit throwing them back and Garrus attacked them with a ferocity that was downright feral. She felt almost superfluous as she cast plasma balls from her omni-tool and fired her Carnifex at the walking dead. The horde died and they ran for the shuttle. 

Rather than boarding first, Garrus grabbed her around the waist and dragged her into the shuttle with him. Thane leapt into it behind them and Shepard slammed her fist against the cockpit door. The shuttle took off and Garrus dropped to a knee in front of her. His breath came out in low growls as he hastily stripped the armor from her shoulder. Through the window in his helmet, she saw his eyes boring into her as he assessed the wound.

“I’m fine, Garrus,” she said. “I’ve got this.”

He snarled in response and batted her hand aside. Thane said tightly, “Let him do it, Shepard. It will be easier on both of us if you do. We will breathe easier when you are no longer injured. In the future, I would advise bringing only one Alpha when you are in heat. Seeing you wounded and being unable to contribute to correcting it is unpleasant.”

“What?” she asked. “You want to kiss it and make it better?”

Garrus snarled, “Not a chance.” Shepard had to fight the urge to bury her face in his throat at the obvious possessiveness in his voice. He was staking a claim, at least with Thane. If the latter wanted her, he would have to say so now and either she would have to make a choice, or the two of them would fight for the right to be considered by her. She had the final say, but her hormones would demand that she choose the winner. 

“Seeing you whole will be enough,” Thane said, avoiding the possibility of conflict. She remembered what he’d said about not claiming her. She was certain that if he was healthy, he’d at least consider it, but he was far too honorable to do so, especially when there was an interested Alpha with a longer life expectancy than his own. 

The shuttle docked with the _Normandy_ and Garrus fought a very obvious battle with himself to respect her position as the commander of the ship when she insisted on going to the bridge before the med bay. Only when the ship was safely away from the Collector ship did she allow him to herd her to the doc. He hovered as Dr. Chakwas examined the injury and treated it and relaxed only when he saw that it was healed. He nodded almost to himself before almost bolting back to the main battery. She stopped by Life Support and allowed Thane to see for himself before calling a meeting with the betas of the crew to discuss the trap the Illusive Man had sent them into and then having a word with the man himself. Only when that was finished did she return to her cabin.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW

She could smell Garrus on her skin. It was driving her mad. Shepard paced her cabin, torn between the urge to wash it off and the desire to leave it there. She couldn’t think clearly. She wanted Garrus. She _needed_ Garrus. All she could hear was that possessive growl. All she could see were his eyes. All she could feel were his hands on her skin. She needed that. She could go to him right now and submit to him and he would claim her. He would be her Alpha. _Her Alpha._ The words hummed in her veins and rolled over her skin. She didn’t need to think. She knew. She wanted Garrus.

“EDI, is the mess clear?” she asked.

“No, Commander,” the AI answered.

“Connect me to Garrus,” she said.

“Commander?” his voice filtered into her cabin and her heart thudded against her chest. 

Somehow, she managed to steady her own voice enough to say, “Will you come to my cabin? I need to speak with you.”

He was silent for long enough that she began to wonder if he was going to reply. Finally, he said, “I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Shepard. I’m not exactly in the best place for a debriefing right now.”

“I don’t want a debrief,” she said. “I want to see you.”

“Are you sure?” he asked seriously. “Remember what I said about forcing the bond.”

“I’m sure,” she said. “I’m inviting you, Garrus. You aren't pushing. I’m not ordering and I’m not begging.” She wanted to beg. She wouldn’t. “I’m giving you the option. Come if you want. Stay there if you don’t. No hard feelings. Nothing changes.” Everything had already changed. 

The connection closed and Shepard resumed her pacing. She was impressed by the level of control she’d displayed. She’d chosen her Alpha. Now, she just had to wait and see if he chose her as well. She didn’t know what would happen if he didn’t. She’d never heard of an Alpha refusing an omega he or she wanted and Shepard knew that he wanted her. However, they were still two different species and Alphas were driven to breed. He couldn’t do that with her. Wanting her and acting on that desire were two very different things. She knew what he offered her as an Alpha. She didn’t know what she offered him as an omega. She couldn’t improve his standing in the Hierarchy and might even endanger it because she wasn’t turian and couldn’t give him children. She couldn’t satisfy his need to reproduce. 

Suddenly, she felt very selfish. She shouldn’t have offered. She should have simply avoided him until her heat was over and then everything would have gone back to normal. She might still want him, but if the bond wasn’t formed, then she wouldn’t need him like this until her next heat and they might be dead by then. Even if they were still alive, they probably wouldn’t be physically together. She would hopefully return to the Alliance when this mission was over and he would return to Palaven. She might long for him, but without him there, it would be far milder than it was now. If she was lucky, Mordin would have figured out how to suppress her heats by then and might even have synthesized the α prohormones she needed to present as an Alpha again and block these urges altogether. She should have waited. It would be far kinder to him than putting him in the awkward position of having to turn her down.

She was about to instruct EDI to tell him not to come when the door to her cabin opened and he strode in. He stopped a few feet away from her and said, “Are you sure, Shepard?”

His presence, his scent, the look in his eyes all made her long to go to her knees. When she said, “No,” it was the hardest thing she’d ever done. His face fell and her nails dug into her palms. “I have nothing to offer you.”

His disappointment changed to shock and he said, “What the hell are you talking about?”

“You can’t breed me,” she said, feeling her face heat. A part of her couldn’t believe she’d just said that to _Garrus_ of all people. “I’m not turian.”

“I don’t care,” he said. 

“I can’t increase your standing,” she added.

“I don’t care,” he repeated. 

“I don’t know why you want me,” she said.

Now, he looked downright stunned. “Shepard, you’re my best friend,” he said incredulously. “You’re about the only friend I have left in this screwed-up galaxy. You’re the one person who’s always believed in me even when I don’t believe in myself. _I_ don’t know why _you_ would want me. I can’t give you children.”

“I can’t have them anyway,” she said. “I’m infertile. Another side effect of death.”

“Oh, Shepard,” he said, his voice rich with sympathy. 

“There’s always adoption,” she said. “If we live long enough.”

“The last time I led anyone, it was straight to their deaths,” he said. “I don’t think I’m worthy of you. I don’t want to screw this up.”

“You are and you won’t,” she said. “You’re my best friend, too. There’s no one in this galaxy I trust more than you. You’re the only one who’s had my back through everything. I couldn’t do this without you. I need you, Garrus. Do you want me or not?”

“Definitely,” he said emphatically. “I want you. Do you want me?”

“Definitely,” she repeated and finally, finally, took the steps needed to close the gap between them. Slowly, deliberately, she went to her knees in front of him and lowered her head. When she pressed her forehead against his waist, she felt his hand delve into her hair and her breath left her on a shuddering sigh. All of the weight she’d been carrying for so long fell away and she felt safe for the first time in years. “Alpha,” she whispered.

“Stand up,” he ordered. She obeyed and he gently tugged her head back by the hair. “Turian omegas stand tall. We do not force them to demean themselves. If you kneel because you want to, that’s one thing, but when you offer yourself to me, you should do it proudly. You have worth, Shepard. I’m not doing you a favor here. Don’t offer yourself as a burden. Offer yourself as a partner of equal worth. Alphas have no more purpose without omegas than omegas do without Alphas. We’re two parts of a whole. I want submission without subjugation.”

“Yes, Alpha,” she said. “But I don’t know how to do that.”

“Bare your throat,” he said in a tone that made it clear that he was providing guidance rather than ordering her to do so. She obeyed anyway and presented her throat to him. His gaze turned predatory and the hunger in his face made her blood sing. Still, he hesitated. “Are you certain you don’t want something a little closer to home?” he asked. “There’s no going back from this.”

“I want _you_ , Garrus,” she said. “I’m certain.”

With a growl, he drew her onto her toes and wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her immobile. His teeth scraped lightly over her throat and she felt his rough tongue drag over her pulse point. She heard a needy whine escape her lips and his hand tightened in her hair. Her skin burned where he touched her and she ached with the need to be closer to him. Her body cried out for him to fill her, to connect them in that final way. She wanted him inside of her. She wanted his mark on her. She wanted him to own her. 

His teeth released her throat and he turned without releasing her. She gasped as her back hit the surface of the fish tank and he released her only to grasp her wrists and pin her hands above her head. “Don’t move,” he ordered and she saw the flash of his talon as he hooked the collar of her shirt. The material parted with a hiss as he dragged it down her body and she felt the cool air of the room against her skin. She was worried that he wouldn’t find her attractive, but he drank in the sight of her with hungry eyes and then his hand was on her skin. He released her wrists to push the ruined garment to the floor and then knelt in front of her and began to untie her boots. She obediently lifted her feet when he tapped her calves and he tossed both her boots and socks behind him before giving her slacks the same treatment he had her shirt.

The combination of his sharp talons near her skin and the careful way he used them was heady. She trusted him not to harm her, but there was enough of a hint of danger there to add to the excitement. His mandibles flared and his nasal plates shifted as he drank in the scent of her. Rather than embarrassment or worry that he wouldn’t find her appealing, she felt only heightened desire spear through her. She wanted him inside of her _now_ , but he was still in his armor and didn’t seem to be in any hurry to shed it. 

He stood in a smooth motion and lifted her from her feet. His armor was cold against her skin, but she was finally close enough to reach his throat. She wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled the underside of his jaw. His hands tightened on her when her tongue darted out to trace the line of his mandible and his armor vibrated from the rumble in his chest when she nipped lightly at the softer hide where his jaw met his throat. It seemed to have the same effect on him that it would on a human, so she continued to lavish attention on it as he carried her to the bed, telling him without words that she submitted to him, that she needed him, that she accepted his protection. 

He laid her down gently on the bed and stood at the foot of it as he finally began to shed his armor. She bit her lip in anticipation as his body was revealed to her. He was different from a human with his hard surfaces and sharp angles and plates in place of skin and muscle, but he was still beautiful to her. His shoulders were broad. His chest was more convex than a human’s and the muscles there were hidden from view, but the plates gave him an armored look that conveyed strength. His abdomen tapered down to a narrow waist that wasn’t plated and the pattern of his musculature there was different from a human’s but still undeniably sexy. His hips flared out and she imagined hooking her thighs over them as he pounded into her in the shower or against a wall. His legs were gracefully formed and more thickly muscled than she’d expected. He was every inch the alien, but that didn’t matter to her. He was _Garrus_ and he was hers. 

The bed dipped as he knelt on it and then prowled up her body on his hands and knees. She felt like she was being stalked by a predator and that only made her hotter. The inferno was raging inside of her again and she thought that if he didn’t fill her soon, she would lose her mind. She felt painfully empty. She’d never experienced this before. Heats were never entirely pleasant, but they’d always been a minor inconvenience, a slight annoyance, more than anything else. This was painful. This was a _need_ that made her think of Alchera and the burning in her lungs as they demanded the oxygen she required to stay alive. She needed more. She needed her Alpha.

He lifted her hand and brought it to his face in an echo of their earlier position. This time, though, he nipped lightly at the soft flesh of her wrist and soothed the sting with his rough tongue. She shuddered and her hand tightened on his mandible. He released her wrist and buried a hand in her hair as his mouth came down to her shoulder, seeking and finding the scent gland there that was transmitting her desire to him. Her arms went around him and he groaned when her fingers found the underside of his fringe. 

His free hand traveled down her body and she arched into his touch, seeking more contact with him, needing to be closer to him. It lingered on her waist and hips before moving between her thighs and she heard herself cry out as his finger stroked over her. She’d expected to feel his talon, but didn’t. She understood when he raised his hand and showed her how his talons sheathed themselves like a cat’s claws, but she was far too gone to truly care. She was aching and he was the only thing that could soothe it. “Garrus, please,” she begged. “Help me.”

“Easy, Shepard,” he said when her hips bucked against him. “Trust me, I want to bury myself in you right now, but I don’t want to hurt you. I did research, but I’ve never done this before. I want to get it right. Be patient, sweetheart. I promise I’ll take care of you.”

His finger slid into her, a preview of what she really wanted from him, and she dragged her nails down the back of his neck as he explored her body, testing her readiness and ability to accommodate him. “Garrus,” she groaned. “Alpha, please!”

“I’ll fuck you when I’m damn good and ready, omega,” he growled against her ear as he mimicked the action with his hand and slid another finger into her, stretching her in preparation for his cock. 

“Oh, holy fuck,” she moaned. “Please, Alpha. I need you. Help me. Please. This _hurts_ , Garrus. Please fuck me. I can take it.”

“You’re too tight for my knot, Shepard,” he said in a strained voice. 

He shifted, moving down her body, and she protested the absence of his heat until she felt the rasp of his tongue against the inside of her thigh. She opened her legs and he moved between them. She watched as his long, blue tongue slid up her center. His eyes remained locked on hers and his fingers continued to move inside of her. He flicked his tongue against her and her head fell back, exposing her throat to him once more. She felt his groan vibrate her core and his fingers scissor open, stretching her further. His tongue dipped lower and slid between his fingers and then he was licking inside of her. The bed sheets balled in her fists as her body bowed into him. Her heels dug into the mattress and when his tongue curled against her, she fell apart around him.

“That’s it,” he said encouragingly and moved up her body again, settling himself between her thighs. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he dragged his thick, ridged cock against her. 

“Please, Alpha, don’t tease me,” she begged. 

“Last chance, Shepard,” he said against her ear. “If you ask again, I’m going to fuck you. I’m going to fuck you hard and I’m going to tie with you. I’m going to breed you again and again and I don’t care if it takes or not. I’m going to mark you, omega. You’re going to be _mine_. No other Alpha will touch you, ever.” 

“Yes, Garrus, please!” she wailed, rolling her hips in an attempt to draw him into her body. “I’m yours. Take me, Alpha.”

He snarled and pushed into her in a single smooth thrust until he was hilted inside of her. He paused to give her time to adjust to his girth, but when she moved against him, he drew back and hammered into her again. The rhythm he set was hard and fast, filled with the desperate need to tie and breed and make her his. She felt the complement to that need and met his thrusts without hesitation as the last of her control shattered, leaving only the feral, animalistic need to mate with this man. There would be time for exploration later, time to take their time and learn each other’s bodies. This was for completion, both his and hers, and they sought it with a single-minded abandon. 

His hands wrapped around her hips and his talons pressed into her skin, sliding so smoothly into her flesh that she felt it only once they were locked into it. Pleasure and pain combined and sent her higher as he slammed into her, using his grip on her to control her rhythm as well as his. Her hand locked around the protruding collarbone on his back and the fingers of the other dug into the back of his neck as she nipped and licked the underside of his jaw. He changed their angle slightly and she felt his softened groin plates slide over her slick clitoris. It was enough to send her skating along the edge and she threw her head back and called out sharply, “Alpha, please!”

He slammed into her again and she felt his base begin to swell with his thrusts. “Take my knot, omega,” he demanded. “Take it all.” 

He stretched her until she felt like she couldn’t possibly stretch any further and then hooked her thigh over his arm and stretched her more. The base of his knot entered her with a slick pop and she shouted his name as he continued to move, now locked inside of her. Her orgasm crashed through her as she felt him release into her and the pleasure was blinding. He tugged her head to the side and she felt his teeth graze over her shoulder. “Mine,” he snarled and bit down. 

Omegas’ nerves were buried deeper in that spot than anywhere else as bondmarks tended to be painful, especially when made with blunt human teeth. Garrus’ teeth were extremely sharp and, outside of a slight prick when he broke the skin, there was no pain, only pleasure. The bite stimulated the terminary gland, causing it to flood her system with ω prohormone. When the corresponding gland near her g-spot was stimulated by a knot, it released a chemical that converted the prohormone to the Ω hormones that bound her to him biologically as well as emotionally. When he released the bite, he pressed his forehead to hers, causing his intraorbital α gland to release the complementary hormones that bound him to her and marked her with his scent. 

He rolled them onto their sides, his knot holding his seed inside of her, and he gently nuzzled her forehead. “My omega,” he said in a voice that was more subvocals than words.

“My Alpha,” she responded on a sigh. She was his and he was hers. Alpha and omega. He would die to protect her and she would go to the ends of the galaxy to make him happy. She stroked the underside of his fringe and kissed his stiff lips before nuzzling the underside of his jaw again. “I love you, Garrus,” she whispered.

“I love you, too, Shepard,” he replied. His arms tightened around her and he tucked her closer into him and stroked her hair.


End file.
